Ministry Expands Verification Targets to Prevent Narcotics Misuse
Following Fentanyl and ADHD Medications... "Preventing Doctor Shopping"
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on December 16 that it has expanded the list of substances subject to the 'Medical Narcotics Prescription History Verification System' to include appetite suppressants such as phentermine, phendimetrazine, and diethylpropion, in an effort to prevent so-called 'doctor shopping' and excessive prescriptions by patients visiting multiple medical institutions.
Previously, the Ministry made it mandatory in June last year to verify prescription histories for fentanyl tablets and patches, and in June this year, designated methylphenidate, a medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with steadily increasing prescription volumes, as a recommended target. The prescription volume of fentanyl decreased by 16.9% year-on-year during the first year after the mandate, and the verification rate for ADHD medications through the Doctor Shopping Prevention Information Network increased from 2.07% in June to 16.86% in the first week of this month.
With the latest recommendation to verify prescription histories for appetite suppressants-often referred to as 'weight loss drugs' and known for their high risk of misuse and addiction-physicians can now use prescription software linked to the Narcotics Integrated Management System (Doctor Shopping Prevention Information Network) to automatically view a patient's one-year prescription history for medical narcotics through a pop-up notification when prescribing these substances.
To ensure the smooth implementation of the prescription history verification system for appetite suppressants, the Ministry and the Korea Institute of Drug Safety & Risk Management will individually notify physicians and medical institutions with a history of prescribing appetite suppressants by distributing promotional posters and sending messages via KakaoTalk. They will also operate a counseling center to address complaints and resolve any inconveniences.
The Ministry further stated that it plans to continue expanding the pre-prescription verification system for other medical narcotics with high potential for misuse, such as zolpidem, and will closely consult with the medical community regarding the selection of target substances, timing, and methods of implementation.
Kang Baekwon, Director of Narcotics Safety Planning at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, said, "This measure is intended to provide strong protection against addiction to medical narcotics for those taking appetite suppressants for weight loss or cosmetic purposes." He added, "Although there may be some delays in consultation times during the initial implementation of the prescription history verification, we ask for the voluntary participation and cooperation of prescribing physicians to help prevent the misuse of medical narcotics."
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